Christmas Savoury Strudel
Ingredients * 3 tbsp olive oil * 2 onions, chopped * 2 garlic cloves (or more) — crushed * 28 oz canned tomatoes in juice * 1 tsp dried basil * 3 fl oz red wine * 8 oz button mushrooms — washed and sliced * salt * freshly ground black pepper * 10 oz filo pastry * 4 oz butter, melted * 3½ oz roasted cashew nuts — roughly chopped Directions # Heat the oil in a fairly large saucepan, add the onions and cook them, with the lid on the pan, for about 10 minutes, until they are tender but not browned. # Add the garlic, the tomatoes together with their liquid, the basil and the wine. # Let the mixture simmer gently without a lid on the pan, stirring from time to time, until the liquid has disappeared and it is quite thick - this will take about 20 minutes. # Add the mushrooms and cook for a further 5 minutes or so, or until the mushrooms are tender and any liquid which they make has boiled away. # Remove from the heat and season to taste. # When the filling mixture has cooled, you can assemble the strudel, which can then be cooked straight away, or kept in the fridge for a few hours until you"re ready, or in the freezer for at least a month. # I find it easiest to assemble the studel directly on to a large baking sheet, which means you don't have to lift it later. # Set the oven to 200°C / 400°F /gas mark 6 if you have the type of filo pastry which is long and narrow — about 30 x 20 cm (12 x 8 inches) — lay two sheets side by side, overlapping them slightly where they join. # If you have the type which is quite large — about 30 cm (12 inches) or so square — lay out one sheet. # Either way, brush the surface with a little melted butter and then sprinkle with a third of the nuts. # Put another layer of filo pastry on top, brush with butter, and scatter with nuts. # Repeat with another layer, then a final layer of filo pastry, which you just brush with butter. # Now tip the tomato filling mixture on top and spread it to about 2.5 cm (1 inch) of the edges. # Fold the edges over, to enclose the edge of the filling then, starting from one of the widest edges, roll the whole thing up like a Swiss roll, trying not to let it break (although it's not the end of the world if it does). # Brush with melted butter and garnish with some shreds or shapes of filo pastry. # Put the strudel into the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. # Transfer carefully to a serving dish with the aid of two slices. Category:Strudel Recipes Category:Basil Recipes Category:Cashew Recipes Category:White mushroom Recipes Category:Phyllo Recipes Category:Red wine Recipes Category:Vegetarian Recipes Category:Onion Recipes Category:Garlic Recipes Category:Tomato Recipes